Looking for a new show or movie to watch? These 7 picks were produced in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania sure isn’t Hollywood, but film buffs with a good eye might recognize the Keystone State as a backdrop in plenty of recently released movies and shows.

Dozens of productions are filmed or produced in Pennsylvania every year with the help of the commonwealth’s Film Production Tax Credit Program. For nearly two decades, the initiative has offered tax credits to film and television productions that spend most of their expenses in Pennsylvania.

The Film Production Tax Credit Program’s most recent report covers productions whose film tax credits were approved during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 fiscal years. So, if you’re trying to find a Pennsylvania production to add to your watch list, here’s a look at seven recently released films and television series produced, at least in part, in the Keystone State.

“A League of Their Own” (2022)

This short-lived comedy-drama television series served as an adaptation of the acclaimed 1992 film of the same name, both centering around a World War II-era professional women’s baseball team. Its women-led cast starred Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams and D’Arcy Carden, among others.

The series, produced for Amazon Prime Video, received positive reviews following its June 2022 release. Amazon scrapped the show’s planned second season following production delays spurred by the four-month Writers Guild of America strike.

Production for the “A League of Their Own” took place in Pittsburgh from July through October 2021, with filming locations including Ambridge, the Aliquippa at Morrell Field and Greensburg’s Amtrak train station.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the production received approval for more than $11 million in tax credits for the 2021-22 fiscal year alone. Roughly 235 Pennsylvania employees contributed to the project’s production, which ran for 118 days in the commonwealth.

“Hustle” (2022)

This 2022 sports drama film centers on a down-on-his-luck NBA scout (played by Adam Sandler) who helps a newly discovered foreign prospect train for the NBA Draft. The film premiered on Netflix to positive views in June 2022 and garnered a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Sandler, who helped produce the project.

The cast of “Hustle” features Queen Latifah and Robert Duvall, as well as many current and former basketball coaches and players portraying themselves or other characters. Notable inclusions include Shaquille O’Neal, Luka Dončić, Trae Young, Charles Barkley and longtime Villanova men’s basketball coach Jay Wright, who has since retired.

Production for the film began in Philadelphia in October 2020. Filming locations in the area included Coatesville Area High School, athletic facilities at La Salle and Temple universities, Philadelphia’s Center City district, Manayunk and the Wells Fargo Center, home of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.

According to the DCED’s report, “Hustle” received approval for more than $18 million in tax credits between the 2020-21 and 2022-23 fiscal years. Roughly 1,823 Pennsylvania employees contributed to the production, which spent 576 days in Pennsylvania.

“Servant” (2020-23)

This psychological horror streaming television series premiered on Apple TV+ in 2020. According to its description, the show “follows a Philadelphia couple in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home.”

Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free and Rupert Grint star in the show, whose fourth and final season premiered in January 2023. The series, with executive producer M. Night Shyamalan serving as its showrunner, received critical acclaim, including nominations through the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Saturn Awards.

Filming for the series largely took place in Philadelphia, though its production was complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. The DCED reports the show’s second and third seasons received approval for more than $15 million in tax credits spread across three fiscal years. Production required a combined 1,211 Pennsylvania workers and nearly 600 days in Pennsylvania.

“A Man Called Otto” (2022)

Tom Hanks stars in the titular role of this 2022 comedy-drama film, which follows a curmudgeon who reluctantly gets involved in his neighbors’ lives. “A Man Called Otto” premiered on Netflix in May 2023 and is available for rent through Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Movies & TV and more.

The film is an English-language adaptation of a 2015 Swedish film, “A Man Called Ove.” The former received generally positive reviews and grossed roughly $113 million against a $50 million budget.

Filming began in Pittsburgh in February 2022 and concluded after roughly three months. In total, the film received approval for more than $8 million in tax credits while employing roughly 485 Pennsylvania workers for more than 300 days, the DCEP’s report says.

“Cha Cha Real Smooth” (2022)

This romantic comedy-drama film focuses on a recent college graduate who works as a bar/bat mitzvah party starter and strikes up a unique friendship with a young mother and her teenage daughter. It premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival before rolling out in a limited theater release, eventually premiering for streaming on Apple TV+.

“Cha Cha Real Smooth” stars Cooper Raiff and Dakota Johnson, while Leslie Mann and Brad Garrett appear in supporting roles. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and received the 2022 Sundance Film Festival’s Audience Award for dramatic cinema.

Filmed in Pittsburgh starting in August 2021, “Cha Cha Real Smooth” received approval for nearly $2.5 million in tax credits across four fiscal years. Roughly 250 Pennsylvania workers received employment through the 275-day production.

“Rustin” (2023)

This film dramatizes the work of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. “Rustin,” which stars Colman Domingo in the titular role, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2023 before being released to select theaters and, eventually, Netflix by November.

Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground, “Rustin” received positive views from critics and earned Golden Globe nominations for Domingo’s portrayal of Rustin and an original song by Lenny Kravitz. Production began in Pittsburgh in November 2021, though additional photography occurred in Washington, D.C.

According to the DCEP, “Rustin” received approval for nearly $12 million in tax credits spread across four fiscal years. Its roughly 289 production days in Pennsylvania employed about 764 commonwealth workers.

“Archive 81” (2022)

Another Netflix production, this supernatural horror streaming television series centers on an archivist who, while restoring damaged videotapes, is pulled into a mystery involving their missing director and a mysterious cult. “Archive 81” premiered as one of Netflix’s most-watched shows in January 2022 but was canceled after just one season.

The series starred Mamoudou Athie, Dina Shihabi, Evan Jonigkeit and more. Notably, acclaimed horror filmmaker James Wan served as one of many executive producers on “Archive 81.”

Filming for the series began in November 2020 in Pittsburgh. According to the DCEP’s reports, “Archive 81” received approval for about $16.2 million in tax credits across three fiscal years. Its 211-day production in the commonwealth employed roughly 672 Pennsylvania workers.

What is Pennsylvania’s Film Production Tax Credit Program?

The Film Production Tax Credit Program seeks to expand Pennsylvania’s film industry by offering incentives for production in the commonwealth. Productions that receive tax credits can offset their Pennsylvania state tax liability or choose to sell, assign or transfer the credits to another entity, the DCEP says.

Film and television productions are eligible for the program if they spend at least 60% of their total production budget in Pennsylvania. According to the program, eligibility is restricted to the following: feature films, television films, television talk or game shows, television commercials, television pilots or individual episodes of television series intended as programming for a national audience.

To qualify, productions must submit applications no sooner than 90 days before principal photography begins in Pennsylvania. A production must have at least 70% of its financing secured (with the remaining percentage secured before principal photography in Pennsylvania begins) to receive consideration for the program.

Qualified productions are eligible for tax credits equal to 25% of the production’s total expenses in Pennsylvania. An additional 5% tax credit is available to productions that meet minimum state filming requirements at select production facilities.

According to the Pittsburgh Film Office, Pennsylvania is a desirable location for film and television production due to its Hotel Occupancy Tax, which is exempt for feature film productions when hotel stays last longer than 30 days.

Visit filminpa.com/resources/industry-analysis-reports to browse each Pennsylvania Film Office report covering the Film Production Tax Credit Program for each fiscal year.